River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-07-07
How TO build a Silo.

We have read great many articles
| on silo's and sllo building but we new
| or saw rs much information on the
subject i'm as condensed and practical
form rs the following which we clip
from Hodrd's Dairyman.
JAS. n. Coleman & Sons, of Ellis Co.
Texas. write to know how a silo should
| be built and how the enSilage should
| be put in. We can hardly say how
| the work should be done in Texas, for
climate usually makes considerable
difference with conditions. But we
will state what silo is and how the
thing is managed in the north.
4 silO is merely an air-iight box in
which cOrn-stalks or other fodder il
canned when green or nearly so. The
simplest way to make such box and
make it right, i. O., air tight at bottom
and sides, is the best. Most silos are
now constructed of wood. Suppose
you do as follows: Lay out with AXIS
timber the sills of room l2x24 on the
top Of the ground. Ii you choose,
build a foundation say twenty inches
high of brick or stone. Let the tim
Der sills come even with the inside of
the foundation. Then build the frame
with 2X8 or 2xl0 studding. Set IL or
l6 inches apart clear around the frame.
Cut a notch in one end of the studding
20 inches from the lower end and two
inches deep 50 that the end of the stud
ding will run down on the inside past
the sills to the bottom of the foundation
wall or even to the ground. Frame
or spike on 2xl0 on the top of the
studding. The studding shOald he at
least Is feet long, which will make the
silO pit is feet deep. Then board over
the inside with common rough stuff
running horizontally. Then take build
ing paper or if preferred tarred paper
aud line inside again, tapping the paper
one or two inches. Then with dressed
and matched lumber line the inside
again over the paper. Board over the
outside and batten and put on a cheap
roof but one that will thoroughly shed
water. In one end or at the center on
one side provide for an opening eX-
tending from top to bottom say two
to three feet wide. This opening can
be closed with short plank matched at
the edges, put IN Que after another rs
the pits FL up to them and taken out
in the same manner as the pits are
emptied. This opening is for the
purpose of getting the ensilage out.
Paper should be tackled over the plank
as they go up to exclude The air. A
SilO the size we mention should be di-
yided into three compartments by
planks matched at the edges.
The corn to fill the silo is cut just at
roasting ear stage and brought to the
pit on wagons. 1t is then run through
an ensilage cutter-two kinds of which
are advertised in our c0lumns-and
cut into half or three-quarter inch
lengths. To convey the cut ensilage to
the proper pit carrier is used similar
to a straw carrier on threshing ma
chimes. The first day put into one pit
say four feet Of cut ensilage, the next
day fill the second pit to the same
depth putting in the plank partitions.
A couple of narrow strips may be
nailed on the sides of the silO at the
place the ends of the partition planks
come to make the divisions and hold
the planks in place.
The third, day fill the third pit four
feet deep. The fourth day the silage
in the first pit will have become heat
tAA W hhOhG III Wv III NAA up VI
this four feet more as on the first day
The second batch will cool down the
layer underneath to about 80 deg.
where it will thereafter remain. The
fifth day fill the second pit With four
feet more of the silage and the
sixth day fill the third pit in the same
way.
Care should be taken to tramp down
the silage at the corners and keep the
center level. Go through the process
in this manner, putting in four feet of
silage into one pit each day until you
have the several pits filled. Then lev
el off smoothly and cover with tarred
paper tapping edges say six inches, let
ting the paper extend up the wall say
20 inches. Then cut boards to fit
closely the narrow way of each pit and
lay over the paper the edges close to-
gether. On the top of the whole put
foot of saw dust, earth, or couple of
feet Of slough hay. 1t is well in con-
stTucting the sil0 to tie the corners
With two or three iron rods and one at
the top in the middle TO restrain the
lateral pressure which is considerable.
Your silO is now filed and ieyou have
kept this idea in mind all through that
it must be ali tight, you are all right.
When it is fed, 80 to 50 pounds a day
with say Eve pounds of hay is "a days
ration iur "a COW aside from the grain.
About ,0GC lbs. IS a seasons supply
for COW and so square feet will con
tain 1000 pounds. So the capacity of
the silO should be guaged by the ratio
of $50 square feet per cGw.
We wish to say here that in Texas
different conditions Of temperature
must produce certain changes in re-
suits and one needs to be tutored by
local experience.